Ja’Marr Chase didn’t let the sideline moment linger for long.
The Bengals wideout said Friday, Nov. 6, that he and head coach Zac Taylor have already talked after Chase was seen visibly frustrated during Cincinnati’s 43-36 overtime win over the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Nov. 1. Some of that emotion appeared to be aimed at Taylor as the Bengals battled through the game.
“I want the best for everyone around me,” Chase said, per FOX19’s Jeremy Rauch. “Zac can vouch for me. We already had a talk.”
That answer offered a clear reset after a week in which Chase’s body language drew attention and sparked questions about his relationship with the coaching staff. His reaction in the fourth quarter, combined with his blunt postgame response to questions about the Bengals’ repeated slow starts, made the sideline scene a talking point.
When asked about those slow starts after the Titans game, Chase didn’t offer much.
“Ask Zac,” Chase told reporters when asked about the issue.
Taylor, for his part, brushed off the sideline flare-up after the win, framing it as part of the emotion that comes with a close game.
And while Chase’s frustration was easy to spot, his production was impossible to miss. He finished against Tennessee with 11 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown, helping Cincinnati survive the overtime shootout.
Now the Bengals head into Sunday’s matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in Madrid at 5-2, riding a three-game winning streak and looking for a fourth straight victory.
In Other News...
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As the trade deadline approaches, the Bengals are being pulled into a familiar kind of conversation: whether a midseason move could help jump-start an offense that has not looked quite right. One analyst has floated the idea of Cincinnati pursuing a running back upgrade, and the discussion has gained a little traction because it is tied to the kind of roster fix teams often consider when they think they are close enough to justify a bold swing.
The catch is that any such move would come with real financial complications and a tricky fit within the way the Bengals want to run their offense. The idea is still speculative, but it has not been dismissed out of hand because the same analyst was right on a previous trade prediction, which is enough to make this one worth watching as the deadline nears. [Read more 🡒]
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Bengals Linked To A Trade Debate Their Offense May Not Need
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Josh Downs is the name drawing the most attention, with the Colts receiver attracting interest from several contenders and standing out as a young, productive option after being a third-round pick in 2023. Cincinnati has also been loosely tied to the broader market at receiver while being viewed as an unlikely destination for Jonathan Taylor, and the real question is whether the Bengals would see enough value in another pass-catcher to keep pushing in that direction. [Read more 🡒]